Rail-joint.



I. L. F. PARROTT.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED OCLZZ, I9I5.

l, 1 87,383 Patented June 13, 1916.

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JLIIPar/w i'i.

BAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1916.

Application filed October 22, 1915. Serial No. 57,325.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. F. PARRoT'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Florence and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in rail joints.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of rail joints and to provide a simple, practical and compara tively inexpensive rail joint designed to dis-- pense with the square joint ordinarily employed and capable of eliminating angle bars and other fish plates and of permitting the necessary expansion and contraction due to changes in temperature.

A'further object of the invention is to provide a rail joint of this character having overlapping heads or balls adapted to present to the wheels of a train practically a continuous rail to prevent pounding of the ends of the rails as is the case where square joints are used.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an overlapping joint having interlocking parts and equipped with a double web and a double base portion whereby the strength of the joint is materially increased and accidents due to broken joints are practically eliminated.

With these and other'objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel'combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction .may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint constructed in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the rail joint, Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the end of one of the rails, Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the coacting rail end.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawing. 7

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 and 2 designate rails provided with recessed overlapping heads or balls 3 and at which are tapered at their recessed or overlapped portions as clearly illustrated in Fig. 9. of the drawing.

The recessing of the heads of the rails forms shoulders 5 which may vary in size with the size of the rails and which receive the terminals of the heads in approximately abutting relation suiiicient space be ing left between the shoulders and the adj acent ends of the rails to provide for the expansion of the rails due to changes in temperature.

The webs 6 and 7 of the rails 1 and 2 are provided with terminal extensions 8 projecting beyond the tapered ends of the balls or heads of the rails and arranged to extend beneath the balls at the shoulders 5 thereof to support the heads or balls of the rails and increase the strength and durability of the latter particularly at the joints. The webs 6 and 7 are slightly recessed to provide shoulders 9 and the recessed webs 6 and 7 are provided at their inner faces with spaced projecting lugs or enlargements 10 which form interlocking portions for engaging recesses or pockets 11 located at the sides of the lugs or enlargements. The recesses or pockets 11 are of a length slightly in excess of the lugs or enlargements 10 to allow for the expansion and contraction of the rails which are secured together by a transverse bolt 13 passing through registering bolt openings 14. The first and second openings of the rail are round and the third and fourth openings are elongated or elliptical and are adapted to keep a bolt from turning when a wrench is applied for tightening it. The rail 1 is provided with a wide bottom flange or base 15 and the other rail which has its base cut away is provided at one side with an elevated bottom flange 16 which is located upon the widest portion 16 of the bottom flange of the other rail 1 as clearly illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing. The widest portion 16 of the bottom flange of the rail 1 is provided at its projecting side edge with recesses 17 for the reception of spikes to prevent the rails from creeping at the joints.

It will be seen that the rail joint is simple.

and comparatively inexpensive in construction that the heads or balls of the rails are recessed and arranged in overlapped relation to eliminate square joints and provide practically a continuous tread for the wheels of a train and that the web and base portions of the rails are practically of a double thickness and that the webs have a double interlocking connection making itpractically impossible for them to pull apart. Also the rail joint requires only four connecting bolts and holes thus eliminating two of the bolts employed on standard rail joints. The rail joint will reduce approximately one-fifth the labor required to maintain the track in proper condition as the standard joints com-- monly employed on all railroads have square ended rails which break down under the pounding of the 'wheels'ot a train causing low joints and swinging ties and frequently result in the breaking of the angle bars and causing costly wrecks.

hat is claimed is 1. A rail joint of the class described in cluding two rails having recessed overlapped heads and provided with webs extending throughout the entire length of the joint, and projecting under the heads of the rails beyond the joint to support the said heads, said websbeing provided at their inner faces with interlocking lugs or enlargements and reat each side thereof and the other rail having itslface cut away at the joint and provided with an elevated bottom flange at one side fitting upon the base of the first mentioned rail and transverse fastening devices securing the rails together.

2. A rail joint of the class described including two rails having recessed overlapped heads and provided with webs extending throughout the entire length of the joint and projecting under the heads of the rails beyond the joint to support the said heads, said webs being provided at their inner faces with interlocking lugs or enlargements and recesses receiving the lugs orenlargeme'nts, the base of one of the rails being widenedvand' the other rail having its base cut away at the joint and provided with an elevated bottom flange at one side and transverse fastening devices securing the rails to ether.

In testimonywhereof I a x my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

itnessesz 7 JOHN O. GREEN, 7 s A. W. CARD. 7

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissionero! Patents,

Washington, D, G. i

JAMES L. F; PARROTT. 

